Europe pushes for stronger measures against Russia's shadow fleet
Kremlin shadow fleet under Europe's scrutiny (photo: Getty Images)
German and French lawmakers are calling for strict inspections and the detention of Russian vessels that help Moscow bypass oil sanctions and finance its war against Ukraine, according to the DPA news agency.
Security and ecology risks
The media reports that a draft document from the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly proposes increasing diplomatic pressure on countries under whose flags Russia-linked ships operate.
The initiative is supported by German conservatives, Social Democrats, and the Greens.
The document emphasizes that Russia's shadow fleet poses a significant risk to the environment and security, as most of the vessels are outdated and poorly maintained.
In addition, some of these ships have reportedly been used by Moscow for espionage or sabotage.
German conservative foreign policy spokesperson Jürgen Hardt stressed that Russia's actions directly threaten the European critical infrastructure.
Chair of the Bundestag Committee on European Affairs, Anton Hofreiter, added that this fleet generates revenue that is used to finance Russia's aggression.
Hunt for Russian shadow fleet
Notable that Russia has actively been using a shadow fleet to bypass international restrictions on oil exports following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As a result, European countries have significantly increased pressure on these illegal Kremlin-linked shipments.
In particular, under the EU naval operation IRINI, the bloc has authorized the interception and boarding of Russian shadow fleet vessels in the Mediterranean Sea if there are reasonable suspicions of violations of international rules or the use of false flags.
In response to such measures, Moscow has begun discussing radical options to protect its illegal tankers. Russian president aide Nikolai Patrushev said Russia plans to deploy warships and mobile fire groups to escort and protect its shadow fleet vessels due to an alleged high risk of sabotage.
At the same time, even more extreme proposals have emerged within Russian leadership. Senator Dmitry Rogozin suggested mining shadow tankers and blowing them up if foreign countries attempt to seize them.
According to the Russian official, the threat of a major environmental disaster and oil spills off the coast of Europe should deter Western countries from seizing sanctioned vessels.
